Like everyone in blogo-land, I’m reading my way through James Rutz’s "Megashift." I have already seen enough quotes from it to know that He has some awesome things to say about what God is doing all over the world and how He is working through simple, organic expressions. Here’s a great summary.
But…
His first chapter deals with the subject of "exciting miracles" as he documents the increase in resurrections from the dead and other phenomenal miracles. I don’t want to be come across, in any way, with negativity about what God is doing and will continue to do. It’s awesome. That’s not it.
There’s just this little gnawing something in me that reacts to the excitement around signs and wonders as though they are the end in themselves. They are exciting. It is awesome that God works in our world in incredible ways. We ought to expect it. But the signs and wonders themselves are not "it." HE is.
It just seems like I have been around people lately for whom the pursuit of signs and wonders is the thing–the biggest thing of all. The "signs and wonders" topic is the hot button that everyone wants to get hyped about. Again, this is difficult to say because we certainly want to be people that are pressing into all that God has for us– so how can this pursuit to be too big? If we say that someone is "too excited" about signs and wonders are we throwing cold water?
Signs and wonders are a good thing; they are a God-thing. But, truly, they are NOT the most important thing.
The best way for me to say this is to quote from Roland Baker. He is the perfect person to quote from on this subject because he and Heidi, in Mozambique, have created more excitement about signs and wonders than probably any other people. Understandably so. God has done wonderful things through their ministry.
But Roland says well what I am trying to say:
Through all the tears and laughter, repentance and joy, worship and celebration, healings and deliverances, we find time to teach the most basic and critical foundations of the Gospel. This movement does not chase health and wealth, or manifestations, or signs and wonders. We preach Jesus and Him crucified, and the power of the Cross. Nothing counts but faith working through love, producing joy! We seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these other things will chase us! We are learning how to be rich in good deeds, and blessed with godliness and contentment. We are falling in love with Him who is love, until nothing in this world attracts us like He does…
This is my point… "these other things (including signs and wonders) will chase us." Trust it. Believe it. Look for it. Expect it. But it’s not what WE chase. We chase Jesus crucified… to live for, fall in love with, and die for however He chooses to use us.
Roland goes on to say:
We ask our readers, Who will lose their life for Him in order to gain it? Who will suffer hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, and run the race to win? Who will join us in the harvest field, sparing nothing? Who wants to burn with life and passion in pursuit of what is pure, perfect and eternal? Who wants to love as Jesus loves?
When this is our life and passion… and not the signs and wonders themselves… then perhaps "signs and wonders will follow."
Comments
7 responses to “Megashift: Too Excited About Signs and Wonders?”
Roger… I love the truth and the truth is what will set us free! Pursue Jesus Christ and all the other stuff will be given to us!
PTL!!!
Keeping our focus on Him is where it’s at, but it can be ticky at times. I keep asking, “Am I seeking first the kingdom yet? Where are ‘all these things?’” They’ll come when we’re so focused on Him it almost won’t make any difference.
But I believe one of the reasons God wants us to get it right, is so He can pour out the signs and wonders like never before!
Good points! The focus should be that signs and wonders are subordinate to the relationship he is building in those he has created. Having dipped my cup briefly into the last drips of the Charismatic movement, I can attest that many do run after the excitement of the supernatural without truly seeking the Giver of these powerful acts. On the other hand, I think Jim Rutz is probably trying to make us (in the U.S.) a little jealous that the signs and wonders are a tangilbe part of what God is doing in other places.
Question: if Acts 4:29 – 32 and 2Co 12:12 shows signs/wonders as being a part of apostleship, have we been less apostolic here in America than those in the countries Jim Rutz is reporting about? I’m not saying that we have been, necessarily – but it gets me to thinking. Personally, I desire to see God do things supernaturally. I once saw a young boy born deaf receive his hearing. This has stuck with me for years and is one of the things, when I’m in some sort of wilderness experience, that reminds me that God is all-powerful and awesome. But as Roger, Roland and others are saying, these things are a byproduct of relationship with the Father and a testimony that He is doing a real work in us. I will be more than content to be so consumed with Him to the point that what He can do is no longer that important to me.
I think MegaShift will probably serve its purpose as a wakeup call to many who have lost hope that God still works miracles. And, along the wany, it will scratch the itching ears of those who follow the miraclous like the tornado chasers in the midwest. I suppose it isn’t too unlike the house church movement that has awakened many to see the freedom and potential in bringing his kingdom to earth. At the same time, many have simply seen it as a new form for practicing old ways.
I think Megashift serves its purpose, haven’t read the book though, but read about it. So I shouldn’t say too much. Megashift seems to be an inspiring and introducing book more than a book that teaches others to live the Christian life. Please tell me if I’m wrong.
Anyways, I think that the unity of the Body of Christ and the salvation of people and seeing them stepping into God’s purposes for their life are bigger miracles than most physical miracles. Even though these indeed are very cool. The fact that God is One, and that He cares for us and wishes us the best… in my opinion, this is a thing so unbelievable that even if I never saw a miracle, I would be content just following God’s will because of it.
(I have seen miracles, and will see more of them, too, but to me God’s face is far more interesting than God’s hands.)
Good point.
I think one of the more important miracles that we should be beleiving for is the transformation and reformation of the church from a Saulish arrogant heart to a David like brokenness and from the Roman worldly structure to the Biblical supernatural one. I do think Megashift focuses on this.
Our result drivenness has at times caused us to value the more visible results rather than the often times not as visible eternal fruits.
Miracles should be every day occurences in the life of the saints, as the result of deep intimacy with God and one another. (and the community)
I have seen Megashift at the local biblebookstore, and was interested in the ideas that he was presenting. But as a christian who hears God’s voice in the operation of the gift of prophecy, and has children who are seers(ie. samuel) I believe that the body of Christ in America still has alot more to wake up to as far as moving by His Spirit. I also believe that if it would so pursue Him, and desire Him above our comfortable Western lifestyle, and not be afraid to rock the boat sometimes, then I do believe that such things of the Spirit would be much ore common place in the church, His body in America. It is the Lord’s good pleasure to give us the Kingdom and all that that entails, I think that for the most part we just don’t want to risk it all, for the sake of getting it all. Most of the time it’s fear, and fear of losing “respect” of others,whether in the church or in the world. We are just too comfortable
I haven’t read the book, but I have listened to the five part interview with Jim Rutz on Sid Roth’s Messianic Vision. http://sidroth.org/radio.htm
What strikes me as odd is that Jim’s definition of a cell church seems to be: a dead church that includes dead cells. Yeah, so I agree, in that sense, I wouldn’t think twice about joining a cell church. I hope his book offers a little more differentiated view of this topic.
And besides that: I still don’t understand why miracles and signs are so specific to house churches. If I remember correctly, the Vineyard movement started out as a church association that had miracles and wonders occurring en mass. So suddenly this is not available anymore to churches that are not a house church ?
I guess I gotta read the book before making further comments…